In Northern Ireland the "aitch"/"haitch" distinction is used as a shibboleth to determine which community you're from: Protestants tend to use "aitch", Catholics "haitch". If you view the sketch in this light it takes on rather more sinister undertones.
I suppose I am being too American in saying this, but it's just too violent to me. I think they could have made their point in a different way. The concept is funny, but carrying it out was a bit over the top...for me, a coddled American.
I think it's probably less funny to Americans because it's perfectly conceivable in the US that a manager could own a gun and might go crazy and take it to the office and shoot people.
In the UK almost no honest citizen owns a gun and its very difficult to come by one legally. The basic scenario of the sketch is much more far-fetched to me than it is to you and so I can laugh at it as being thoroughly ridiculous whereas for you it isn't ridiculous enough.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
n Northern Ireland the "aitch"/"haitch" distinction is used as a shibboleth
There's a similar, but non-verbal, shibboleth also used over there. When using a spade (to dig potatoes, I assume) a Catholic will rest his/her left foot on the blade whereas a Protestant will use the right foot. Or perhaps it's the other way round ...
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
I think it's probably less funny to Americans because it's perfectly conceivable in the US that a manager could own a gun and might go crazy and take it to the office and shoot people.
We're a sorry lot, Bob, but not that sorry!
[Now someone will probably post a scenario just like that to prove me wrong.]
I don't see it. I think an inevitable consequence of everyone being allowed to own a gun is that some people will use them. I'm not trying to make some deep social comment here and we've had our own share of spree-killers over here but if a schoolboy can take a gun into a classroom and start killing people (which has certainly happened) then I don't see why a manager can't.
Here the scenario is MUCH more far-fetched simply because it would be almost impossible, for example, for me to legally get hold of a handgun.
I find the sketch to be so ludicrously unlikely that it's funny. If I thought there was any possibility of a manager shooting his employees (not for bad grammar but for any reason) I probably wouldn't think it quite so funny.
It's just a theory.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
And of course proof, as if proof were needed, can be found here at none other than the august Language Log. And if it's in Language Log you can count on it being true almost every day of the year.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.